Obsessed Malaysian otaku have launched a hunt of epic proportions for bikini idol Aya Hirano after it emerged she was in the country briefly for filming; their hysteria has in a day spanned 20 pages and encompassed efforts to check hotels, to analyse her photos and even to track her down using Google Earth, after she unwisely posted pictures from her hotel on her blog.

Their manic efforts have taken on a bizarre sense of farce, as it has emerged that throughout their frantic search Aya Hirano had in fact already returned to Japan, with the result that their hunt was focused on prey already far out of reach.

“i dont mind being prisoned if i could grab her butt/whatever.”

A mere day after news of Aya Hirano’s arrival in Malaysia, and subsequent posing in a veil, like sharks converging on the bloody scent of chum in the water, a horde of otaku descended upon the thread at popular Malaysian forum Lowyat.net, each vowing to hunt down the elusive celebrity for his own dark purposes.

After first being incredulous at the photos of a veiled Aya Hirano and being convinced they were Photoshop work, soon the otaku Aya stalkers managed to enlist the aid of Japanese speakers in confirming that she did indeed write that she was in Malaysia on her official blog.

This ignited a frenzy of speculation as to where she might be going and, most importantly, where she was staying and how she could be accosted.

“Lets guess what angle this is and hotel its from. TONIGHT WE DINE WITH AYA.”

Soon after, search parties were being organised, and observers began the painstaking process of calculating her precise hotel room and floor from a grainy shot taken out of a hotel window with a mobile phone, and it seems unlikely the stalkers will give up until she is sighted safely back in Japan.

“The first one to identify this hotel — WIN”

We even hear of them checking with hotels in a vain attempt to find out if there is anyone staying there under her name; in this they are unsuccessful, speculating that she might be registered under a different name.

Clearly, Aya Hirano’s staff already have to deal with swarms of Japanese otaku, so we must expect they have defensive countermeasures in place.

Here is a condensed version of the discussion which should give you some idea about the the perverse otaku frenzy currently gripping Malaysian stalkers:

“Now Im seriously considering ditching my new year eve plans and camping out at nikko.”

“how dare she ikku in malaysia and not notify us fans.”

“If target caught we advertise in 2ch and make those otaku cry.”

“Who is Aya Hirano again?”

“She is your father.”

“You guise better be quick; latest intel says that alot of other Malaysian anime boards are also organizing their own massive manhunt for Aya”

“she is using her HP to take photo. doCoMo N905i. lol. tht is what she use to blog :3”

“we got Google satellite tracking on Aya now!”

“(redacted) is currently running operation “HUNT AYA” in its secret HQ. do join us if interested. FIGHT FOR THE GREATER CAUSE!”

“KLCC where the red circle is. Due the the angle of the towers, if the image is bounced off a building where the red line is, her hotel should be the opposite direction. Ditto for the green line.

Either way, looking at the image, her room is not very high. I’d say 10-15 floors up. So realistically you are looking at hotels around the golden triangle area. I do not think she would be able to see it that close from hotels in Bukit Bintang. My guess would be to call the hotels within the vicinity of Jlnm tun razak, Jln Kia peng, Dang Wangi, and even some of the service apartments in the Jlan Ampang area.”

“do we need /as/funds to bail out whoever got jailed later?”

“i can smell jealousy rage-bait blog posts from miles away that somehow will talk shit bout MY otaku plan to stalk AYA or even kowtow.”

“faster faster , hunt her down and bite her meat !”

It is not really clear just what this pack of maniacal stalkers had planned for her (forcing her to sign Haruhi posters is about the least of the desires evident in the thread), though it looks as if she has escaped their clutches for the moment.

"Talking cock" or exagerrating stuff is part of their culture, and yet they expect everyone, especially foreigners to understand that, getting agitated over being misunderstood. Satire isn't in the malaysian culture too, so that's another bummer.

On a side note: Damn it, I was shopping at Lowyat on the 30th, but I'm pretty sure I didn't miss her 'cause I checked every pretty girl that walked by. =D

I can believe this. I knew a guy in Malaysia who was obsessive over Tamaki Nami. His sig was "Oh Tamaki Nami-chan, I would wear your skin while rubbing myself erotically." The last I heard, he's an administrator at one of Malaysia's top unis.

Besides, my uncle's son got robbed when he went to malaysia... he got hit in the head and ended up in a coma for ages and had to relearn how to speak and communicate all over again... the crime rates there are absurd. =/

As a Malaysian myself, I'm deeply shocked by the behaviour of some people in my country. We're a safe Islamic country with no bombs and whatsoever shit, but it seems I'm ready to accept that we still have these "closet guerrillas" on our streets.

I'm sure late getting this news, being a fan of Japan myself. But of course i agree that we should not take it too serious. Most of the statement they made are exaggerated to attract more people to read it. If they are REAL fan they won't do something that hurt their idol.